Saving Them
by SilverPedals1402
Summary: It's times like this when you have to remember that not everything ends with a happy ending. Not everything ends up okay. Sometimes, everything seems to go wrong. (Not entirely sure about the rating...)


**So, this popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone at all, so I had to post it...its just a little short oneshot...heeheehe...**

**Warnings: Character death...sorry...Slight spoilers for the end of season two through out the story and bottom authors note...so you know.  
**

**Disclaimer: IMAA is not mine...**

"Tony?" She paused. "Oh no….NOOO!"

She sprinted off after the fallen hero. He had to be alright. He had to. She wasn't going to accept anything other than that. He was Tony freaking Stark. He was Iron Man for crying out loud. A simple explosion wasn't going to kill him. He's survived worse.

She kept telling herself that.

The redhead barely registered that someone was next to her when she went air born. She wished she could say everything went in slow motion, but instead, everything went way to fast. It was in fast forward. Everyone ran towards the smoke caused by the fall, the crash. Pepper didn't even think twice before speeding herself up.

The smoke was clearing away before she got there. There was still falling debris from the alien spaceship, luckily not hitting any of the civilians. The instant Pepper could clearly see something red, she dropped to the ground next to it. She could faintly hear some coughing within the smoke as it now quickly retreated.

She didn't even bother to wait to lift the red and gold form over her knees. She noticed his face mask had been removed. She even heard the crowd reacting to the identity reveal. But she blocked that all out.

She looked down to the soot covered face of the boy she loved. She could see blood leaking out of the corner of his mouth and frowned in worry. He had to be okay. There was no way he wasn't. His eyes were only open about a crack and she could tell he was worrying about his identity. She _would_ have laughed at his stupidity. He was hurt and that was what he was worried about?

She ignored his weak protests, and removed the rest of his armor. Her own included. She wasn't the only one shocked at what they saw. Maybe not for the same reasons, but everyone was shocked. Pepper had been so focused on his face that she hadn't noticed anything else really.

A large piece of metal stuck out of his stomach, blood pouring out of the wound, part of the iron man armor still stuck with it.

"T-Tony?" She whispered as she heard more metal retracting from behind her. Rhodey. That or Howard.

She pulled Tony closer to her as best as she could as he weakly turned his head to look at her. "P-p-pep…."

"Shh!" She shushed him. She felt herself about to cry. "D-don't waste your energy. Help is on the way."

She could see that Tony was struggling to keep awake, and she kept speaking to him to help. He never replied to her though. He just faintly nodded his head. Acknowledging that he was still alive and hearing.

She sobbed as she looked down at his pale face. "I never got to tell you…" She paused. "I tried…but you wouldn't let me…"

He groaned in response, making a gurgling sound as he choked up blood. It ran down his chin.

Her voice shook as she continued. "I love you."

She saw him smile faintly. "I l-l-l-l-love you t-t-to." He managed.

She bit her lip so hard, she could taste the blood. Someone was coming to help. Someone had to be. She would do it herself, but she felt unable to move. Anyways, it couldn't help the stomach wound he had…right?

She forced a small smile on her lips and kissed his forehead. He smiled back, before he broke into a coughing fit, spluttering up blood.

"Tony?" She asked when he went limp in her arms. "Tony!?"

She could hardly watch as Tony's barely open eyes, just stared. They stopped seeing and just…stared. Panic took over and she shook his shoulders, repeating his name. She lightly slapped his cheek. Demanding that he wake up. He wasn't dead. He wasn't. He was just sleeping. That's right. He was sleeping. She was just imagining things. He. Was. Not. Dead.

"Tony" She cried out. "You are not dead! You idiot! This. Is. Not. Funny!"

She shook his some more, her face set in misery as tears relentlessly flowed down her face. Her hands were tightly gripped on his shoulders, but someone easily pulled her away from the dead teen. She struggled to get away, but whoever it was, was a whole lot stronger than her.

"NO!" She screeched, her voice cracking. "NO! He's NOT dead! He's NOT! He's still ALIVE! NO!"

"Pepper," The voice said. "Pepper calm down…I know it hurts…it hurt me too."

"No, Let. Me. Go!" She tugged against the person's grip. "I said let me go! I need to go to him! He needs me!"

"He needs you to calm down."

The person pulled her into a tight hug. "Rhodey?"

"Just breathe Pepper." Rhodey said, hugging her closer. "It will be alright."

"No…" She sobbed into his neck. "It won't be."

Rhodey patted her back to comfort her, shedding his own tears. He mumbled some comforting words to her, but stopped when his own pains of loss consumed him. He then proceeded to cry into Pepper's shoulder.

"Oh god…" A choked voice sound from a little distance away. "No…not you…not you too!"

Pepper paused her loud sobs to look over. Howard stood, armorless next to his son's body. He fell to his knees and gently rubbed the teens shoulder. Pepper couldn't hear what he was saying, but she figured it was something like what she was saying.

She broke into more tears as she noticed her dad and Roberta push through the crowd to see the horrible sight. Roberta instantly started to tear up.

"H-he he can't be!" She breathed out, her hand shaky as it rose to cover her mouth.

Pepper looked away.

"Son…" Howard's voice whispered just loud enough to be heard. "Don't leave me. I c-can't be left alone…not after…not after your… m-mom…"

That's when Pepper realized.

Not everything ended with a happy ending.

**That was a bit depressing...sorry. Though I hope you liked it! :)****  
**

**Okay so if you haven't noticed, this was based off of the season finale of season 2. I was watching it again yesterday and I was a bit bothered by how it turned out. Sure there was a HAPPY ending, but I'm just trying to a bit more realistic. How did he NOT get at least a_ little bit_ hurt? I mean he was just in the middle of a HUGE explosion and fell hundreds of feet to the ground. I know he had the armor, but that seriously couldn't have protected him that much. In the episode Titanium vs Iron (I think) Titanium man _proved _that even the war machine armor couldn't survive a fall that i'm pretty sure was shorter than what Tony fell from...Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE this show to pieces, just maybe it would've been better if it was little more realistic. If they were scared it would be too much for young viewers, then they should be worried about the beginning of the second season and the plane crash...Sorry for wasting your time, but i had to rant about that. Sorry...Still LOVE the show though!**

**The other day there was a BAT in my room! I don't know if i've said this before, but still. A. Bat. In. My. ROOM. O.O They are cool creatures, but can be dangerous with the diseases they may carry... **

**Fun Fact: _I get in a REALLY weird mood when i listen a song i love...it's kinda scary..._**

**Oh can any of you guys give a good anime person i could draw? I'm out of ideas and I want to draw too! :( **

**I'm going to go now, but I should have something up tomorrow...or later on today...whatever. BIYA! :D**


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